HI everyone, new on here, September 12th this year I had a left lobe lung bottom half removed , there were 2 cancers present, so for me best quick way to deal with problem , have it surgically removed, I am now recovering from home 3 weeks now, only recently have I been back to hospital for a meeting with the chemotherapy team as I was always told this would always happen even with the surgery. Latest meeting was told only 8% chance of Chemotherapy working, at present I am told I do not have cancer, but this chemotherapy is like a safeguard extra protection, proposed cycles 4 over 3 months, starting in December as at present I am not fit enough, I have been told of the side effects , it seems to be a difficult 3 months for me if I decide to go ahead , I have been told with or without chemotherapy that there is a chance of 50% of the cancer returning anyway, I have been given the option of Chemotherapy with a only 8% chance of this working, but as I said earlier I do not have cancer now, so how will I ever know this has worked, hoping for other people to respond with simular issues as mine, I have 2 weeks to decide whether to go ahead or not, thanks
Hi Trev,
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but I am glad the surgery appears to have been successful. It sounds as though you have got a tough decision to make about the chemotherapy, especially if it will only make a small difference to the chances of the cancer returning.
Of course, in the end, only you can make this decision, but it can certainly help to talk it through with people with similar experiences.
I hope it’s helped a little bit to write some of the pros and cons down here, and hopefully you will get some supportive replies soon.
In the meantime, I also just wanted to recommend a couple of other forums that are lung-cancer specific, as I think they would be places where you’d have a good chance of finding people with a similar diagnosis, or similar treatment decisions.
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation Forum
Lung cancer group - Macmillan Online Community
Whatever option you take I wish you nothing but the best and hope you are free of cancer for ages
Hi I’ve just joined this group as I had my first session of chemo today. My treatment is a precaution so I’m one of the lucky ones
But I just wanted to wish you luck whatever you decide
I sailed through the chemo today despite all the horror stories of the possible side effects from everyone I came into contact with
I do understand the wonderful staff have to warn you. But it took an obviously not as qualified nurse to reassure me. When I was on my last ‘wash’ she remarked it had been a long day for me. I told her I was just so relieved not to have had any side effects.
She said oh that hardly ever happens!!
Maybe they would be better telling you something along the lines of “one in ten people experience these side effects”
Stay strong
Hello Janet
Thank you for your reply, much appreciated. From what I read and hear, it is not so much the day that I have the chemotherapy in having problems, do not the side effects come after between 1- 4 days ?
Thanks Trev
I have those pleasures to come. Day 2 and I’m fine just slight tingling in my hands and very tired from steroid disturbing sleep
I’ll keep you informed. How are you feeling ?
HI
Today I made descion and will now go ahead with chemotherapy, dates not yet confirmed, glad after 2 days you are OK as such , hope it keep that way
Thanks Trev
Hi
Upon reading your message and the side effects of chemo, yes there side effects
and some days those side effect days can be difficult to manage, my wife Patricia
was told and yet we agreed to the chemo because it gave us that little extra loving
wonderful time together, my wife and I I as team thought that the good days were worth going to the chemo treatment, my wife also had a stoma (changing the bag) which its self had side effects but both my wife and I agreed it is worth the side effects.
God bless and keep you I know it is a difficult time for you.
Kind regards Bryan